An Amorous Affair
by aimeedaralyon
Summary: ONE-SHOT. Colleagues Draco and Hermione take a break from their work, but the situation nearly becomes unmanageable for Draco when Hermione has finished her tea. Written for the Houses Competition round 5: Love and Loss.


House: Eagles

Class: History of Magic

Category: Standard

Prompt: Love Potion

Words: 1359 (A/N: 30)

A/N: Based on the Love Potion prompt of the modern-type-writer on Tumblr. Slight OOC Draco.

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**An Amorous Affair **

"I think it is time for a break. What will you have, Granger?" Draco Malfoy asked while raising from his chair across from her desk.

"Tea, please," she replied instantly without looking up from her paperwork and writing.

Draco suppressed the urge to laugh, Hermione Granger truly was predictable. For the past few weeks when they'd been working together, she had always drunk tea whenever they took a break. Draco walked to the kitchen to prepare her tea just the way she liked it.

Hermione was employed at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and Head-Healer of the emergency department. Hermione had finished her Healer studies together with a muggle Medical Doctor studies and was in emergency situations always the first Healer on call.

Draco worked for the biggest potion-developing company known to mankind as potioneer. The company, called Medicamentum Incorporations, was responsible for the production and delivery of all the healing potions to St. Mungo's.

After the Second Wizarding War, Draco had to be judged for his involvement in the war by the full Wizengamot. When the Wizengamot invited the Golden Trio to see Draco's trial and his memories of specific events, the Golden Trio were since then convinced of Draco's innocence. Not a minute after being found 'not guilty to war crimes' by the Wizengamot, Draco Malfoy had walked up to the Golden Trio and apologised and they had become friendly toward one another.

Not long after that day, Draco had put all his time into developing a better Wolfsbane potion. It had taken him nine full months, but he had succeeded and he got hired by Medicamentum Incorporation immediately after. Then, Draco had personally made it happen that Wolfsbane Potions became available to the whole wizarding world and it became apparent that his motivation was his mother, who was bitten by Fenrir Greyback just before the war had ended in an attempt to make Narcissa his mate.

While he had been friendly with all three of the Golden Trio, he had become more and more aware of Granger's greatness when they started working together. Just two days after they'd started their meetings, Draco had been early, walking into the department and heard her yelling to someone with so much passion that he felt the emotion all the way through to his core. It was then, that he knew. Granger was never going to care enough about him to yell at him like that. Shaking the thought off of him, he grabbed the two cups of tea and walked back into her office.

"Here's your tea, Granger," Draco put down a cup of tea in front of her and placed his own on her desk as well.

"Thanks, Malfoy," she replied, finally looking up from her paperwork and putting down her quill.

He looked at her and found her looking straight into his eyes. They remained silent for what seemed like minutes and suddenly he felt really self-conscious. Was it finally going to work? He knew that while she couldn't have known about any of it, he still felt like she knew exactly what he was doing, and had been doing for the past few weeks.

He watched her smile kindly at him and slowly moving her hand towards her cup of tea. He couldn't help but follow her hand and bringing the cup to her lips. Just as Draco expected her to take a sip, she inhaled the aroma that was coming off of the cup and put it back down. Draco's heart started to beat faster and faster. Did she smell it? Draco had asked many of his fellow potioneers and none of them could smell the potion that was in her tea, so why did she just smell her tea and then decide not to drink it? Did Granger have some sort of super-smell? Was she going to question him? Or bring legal charges against him for whatever she could if she found out?

Then he saw the steam coming off of her cup and he realised that the tea was still too hot to drink, that that was the reason she didn't drink the tea. Feeling like he dodged a nasty Bat-Bogey Hex, he sighed loud and leaned back into his chair. They remained silent for a few more minutes and when her hand moved towards the cup again, Draco held his breath. Excruciatingly slow, like she did it to annoy him, she brought the cup to her lips and took a tiny sip. He followed her example, just to avoid making things awkward, but the truth of the matter was that he hadn't been able to eat and drink properly for weeks. He downed his tea in one go, hoping it would inspire Granger to do the same.

When she finally did, he waited for a change in her behaviour all the while trying to act patient before continuing with their work. The problem was, it didn't. Her behaviour didn't change at all. She was just as friendly and as focussed as before.

Sighing again, Draco picked up the paperwork and continued with the list of antidotes.

They had been working until a little after eight and when the thunder struck, Draco decided to make his leave. "I should get home soon. I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked before filing a few files away and leaving his bag in the corner of her office.

"I'll be here," Granger replied.

Just when Draco wanted to leave her office, he saw her put something in her mouth.

He stared at her, his mouth agape, not believing what he had seen.

"What was that?" Draco asked, trying to act nonchalant.

"Oh, it's a Wiggentree twig crisp. It's quite nice. Do you want one?"

"Why are you- I mean- since when are these on the market?"

"George and Ron developed it. It protects the eater from the effects of various potions invented by Laverne, and apparently makes your hair shine without it looking greasy."

Draco swallowed slowly. When he finally found his voice, it sounded a few octaves higher than normal.

"Who?"

"Laverne de Montmorency, she was a Ravenclaw, quite famous? I should think you knew who she is, as a potioneer."

"I think I forgot, heh," Draco smiled awkwardly and felt the room get hotter and hotter.

His clothes were suddenly too tight and he loosened his tie and robes.

"I can't be the only one who knows that she invented the love potion!"

"Oh, now I remember!" Draco replied, trying to make his way out the door but somehow his legs weren't functioning.

She kept on staring at him, like she was expecting him to say something and as a last hope, Draco decided to give it one more go at finishing this conversation that got more awkward with each second that passed.

"So why are you taking it? Your hair is gorgeous," Draco gulped.

She smiled broadly again and shook her head at him. "Because someone has been spiking my tea with love potion."

Her smile had faded and now she stared right into his eyes. Her eyes were determined, calculating, and if Draco hadn't been impressed by Granger before this, he would certainly be now.

"Really? How unfortunate," Draco squeaked and coughed immediately afterwards.

Sweat was now present on his forehead and he thought he was going to pass out from overheating due to the stress he was under.

Hermione turned around and stared out her window. "You made me love you."

Draco forgot how to breathe. He just blinked, looked at her teacup and then back to her.

"I've known for weeks," Granger continued, almost heedlessly so. "It was obvious. Too sweet in the tea."

Draco blinked, and answered before he could stop himself, "You're still drinking it."

Hermione nodded and shrugged. "I wanted to see what you would do. I waited for a long time."

Draco swallowed. He hadn't done anything, hadn't given her any sign aside from giving her the tea. Maybe that was the most vexing thing of all. After all this time, he was still a coward. A coward with a crush.


End file.
